Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-05-06

Ing hc1. 10 wrote, Gnen paused Tor a
moment to read over what / had writ
ten; then, well pleased, Icontinned:
When the miller daughter was born,
the good miller and his wife gave to
her the baptismal name Of KOschen,
because her cheeks were 50 blooming
and her eyes so bright; truly she was
lovely child. A this same time son
was born to the farmer Gessler, a
merry, sturdy boy, who the farmer
named William Tell. of whom he had
read in history, for the farmer was a
well-read man for one in his humble
station. He had always been an at
tached friend of Miller Mechlen, (for
such was the miller's name, although I
have not before mentioned it). They
had agreed that when the farmers
William and the miller's Roschen had
attained to years of discretion they
should marry each other. Nothing
could have been better or wiser than
this plan, but one thing is sure to hap
pen. no matter what else is uncertain
in the world. Tell a young maiden
that her parents have arranged for her
to marry one particular young man,
and she will at once treat him with
scorn and unkindness. Thus was it
with Roschen; although the sweetest
tempered Of girls, she never had a kind
word for poor William; everything
that he did she turned into ridicule.
His curly gold-colored hair she called
red; his brilliant blue eyes she said re-
minded her. of her grandmother's old
blue. Worcester china saucers; his tall,
athletic fignre did not please her either,
and she proclaimed that hs looked like
Atlas, but that he certainly did not
carry the earth on his shoulders.
''All these sarcasms William bore
with the greatest good nature, for you
may be sure that the gossiping villagers
all ran to tell him Roschen's latest jeet
desprI. His invariable answer was:
'"We]l, good gossip. the girl hath
merry heart of her own, and happy in
deed am to furnish jest for her.
so time passed on. Roschen be-
came more beautiful each day At last
the lime came when she ceased her
jests about William Gessler. She took
long walks through the mountain pass
es and forests, and she played sad and
plaintive airs upon her either, often
accompanying them with her voice.
Her favorite air was an old French
ballad, % Richard, o mon roi, Blond
els air, and she made hill aud val
ley ring with its plaintve refrain.
'This puzzled the good miller; and
he asked his wife, the respectable
Gretchen, who on earth this Richard
was of whom Roschen was so inces-
sanity singingP x.
"It may happen, good man. an
swered his wife, that Richard is, after
all, only another name for William
Tell Gessler.'
"'But then" muttered the bewilder-
ed miller, If she means William Tell
Gessler: why not sing it William Tell
Gessler, and let that poor. Richard
alone entirely. 1t seems as if my poor
brain might be crazed if the the lass
keeps on singing of him many days
longer"
May happen then thou wilt buy
Roschen a new music song book at the
fair responded his Retchen archly.
And the good miller, who like many
other fathers had horror of any extra
expenses, at once dropped the CONVEX
sation and sauntered away, smoking his
pipe, to have a gossip with one of his
neighbors.'
At this moment tap sounded on my
door, and my daug hter plaintively
asked for admittance. She said that
she was going down town on shop
ping expedition. She had seen French
bonnet at Madam Rosthchild's that had
struck her fancy and suited her exactly.
She wished to consult me about it.
Would I open the door?
''No, I would not.''
"But, papa dear, it is such bargain,
and going for almost nothing. shall
never have such chance again; so if
you could just let me have my allow
ance month in advance"
"But, my dear daughter, you have
had this months allowance in advance
already"
'Oh we'll, never mind that, papa, lin
a cheerful voice.. just advance me
another months allowance, that will
do Nicely
Cannot do it. my DEAR
''Then what shall do, papa?''
DO, why do without the new bon
net" -
A wall of despair followed this adj
vice, and my heart quite misgave me.
Cannot you charge your little pur-
chases, my love-" said at last.
"Oh yes, dear papa if you will only
give me leave? How kind. and good,
and sweet you are. Then may charge
my things, papap"
.'Oh yes, by all means; just anything
you like, my dear; anything you may
fancy And listened with relief to
my daughters retreating footsteps, SO
eager was I to return to "The Miller's
Daughter" But I had lost my thread,
and had to try back again; so l re-
peated to myself the last words I had
written, to have gossip with one of
his neighbours then continued,
I'm fact Roschen began to love Will
liam Tell. There is but one step from
hatred to love-they are akin to each
other, both feelings being extremely
painful, (and not dissimilar in the tor
lures each produce but strange to say
our young peasant hero William, now
that he felt sure of Roschen's love, be-
gan to cool off himself, and he fled be-
fore the sound of her either; and, like
the miller, he too began to wonder who
was the Richard of whom she 50 con-
stantly sang. .s
Zone day when William was takin e
his noon-tide meal in secluded part
Of the forest, he suddenly heard the zip!
zip! zip! twang of the either, and
Roschen stood beside him. Hastily
brushing the crumbs of cheese and
black bread from his knees. he arose
hastily and bid the fair maiden Gluten
tag, or rather Gutter, naorgen. To this
she responded sn,ilingly, and they chat
ted together for some time; then Ros-
chen turned her blushing face to the
young man. saying: e.. ri